Getting Open: The Unknown Story of Bill Garrett and the Integration of College Basketball

by Rachel Graham Cody and Tom Graham

Book Overview

"A striking and honest portrait of a man overcoming racism in a place that barely acknowledged its existence." --Publishers Weekly Bill Garrett was the Jackie Robinson of college basketball. In 1947,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0743479033
• ISBN13: 9780743479035
• Release Date: March 2006
• Publisher: Atria Books
• Length: 255 Pages
• Weight: 1.08 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

A Story That Needed To Be Told

At the pinnacle of his high school career - leading Shelbyville High to the Indiana state championship; a team that had three black starters - not one college scout in the arena attended the game to recruit Bill Garrett or his two teammates due to the color of their skin. At the pinnacle of his collegiate career - leaving the court to a standing ovation that lasted several minutes - Bill Garrett was refused service in a restaurant days later; one that had on its marquee that it welcomed fans of Indiana Unniversity basketball. And when Bill Garrett was ready to launch his pro career, the team in his home state did not draft him. But Bill Garrett was stronger than those who attempted to keep those doors closed. And we are better because of him. For author Tom Graham - with his co-author/daughter Rachel Graham Cody - the book took seven years of reseach, and certainly a lifetime of not denying the facts from the past and understanding the urgency in the present to set the record straight. Getting Open is more than a biography on Garrett and how he integrated Big Ten basketball by playing and starring for IU. It is a history of institutionalized racial hatred in the State of Indiana - at one point in the 20th Century, the KKK essentially controlled all essential government offices - and the tireless work of person's from different sides of the tracks to fight the good fight. Graham is a Shelbyville native who was old enough to vividly recall the times, which certainly helped as he meticulously did his research to cut through the fiction that builds from facts as the years tumble on. It is a book from the heart that will make you realize how we must celebrate those who had the courage then by continuing to challenge those who want to forget - or rewrite - the past.

Great civil rights story reads like a novel

This book is an incredibly well written and well documented story that should be more widely read. It is an important history that many sports fans, and non-sports fans, will enjoy tremendously. It is an inspiration to us all, and offers many lessons and insights about overcoming racism. Thank you to the father-daughter authors for getting out this story!

A Masterful Job of Writing

Tom Graham and Rachel Graham Cody have done a masterful job of writing a book that will be enjoyed by anyone with either an interest in basketball or an interest in what transpired in the civil rights movement after World War II. If the reader like myself has an interest in both subjects then this book will be among the most interesting books written on the subjects. Written by highly educated and intelligent people the authors have approached the subject with diligence, energy, and passion. While nearly every sports fan knows of Jackie Robinson, few people know of Bill Garrett and his journey from a segregated grammar school in a small Indiana town to national acclaim as an All American at Indiana University. I loved this book.

Not Just for Sports Fans

Because I'm from Bill Garrett's hometown, I thought I was familiar with his achievements. Not so. This book combines the elements of basketball, civil rights, and a cast of fascinating and determined characters with the story of how one small town's attitudes about race led to a revolution in Big 10 basketball and a contribution to the civil rights movement. . A great read that is not just for sports fans.

Compelling Read

In Getting Open, Tom Graham and Rachel Graham Cody have certainly captured the uniqueness that is (or at least was) high school basketball in Indiana. But you do not have to be a basketball fan to enjoy the book. The real story is the compelling, socially-significant humanity of Bill Garrett, a young man with dreams larger than society wanted to allow. With heart and compassion, the authors detail racial conflict and Bill Garrett's trailblazing triumph. This is a very good read and I recommend it for everyone.